Cerberi
The '''cerberi' are a genetically-engineered offshoot of the race. They were originally developed to fill the ranks of army and support the forces during their incursion of the Milky Way but disappeared shortly after the Reapers' defeat and the collapse of the organization. Now, decades following the loss, the cerberi have risen again and become far more powerful than they ever were before. The cerberi now control everything beyond the .'' They are known and feared by everyone in the galactic community and due to their connection with humanity, many groups have used them as an excuse to have the human's embassy stripped from them as the situation mirrors that of the and . The cerberi themselves despise humans just as much as they do any other race in the galaxy however and constantly attempt to distance themselves by extensively mutating their gene pool. ''Biology'' The cerberi are very similar to humans as they originate from the human race. They are of a very robust build and appear to be more resistant to physical injuries, a result from their very dense muscle tissue, hardened bones, and thick skin that appears to be nearly impervious to scrapes and small cuts. The cerberi also appear to have very exceptional endurance and can exert massive amounts of energy for far longer than original humans thanks to their strong muscles, lungs, and hearts. Cerberi also appear to be powerful biotics. Their abilities have been engineered over the years to be on par with that of trained and are capable of implementing their biotics over extended periods of time with little strain or effort depending on how much training they partake in. Their strong biotic abilities are possible as a result of their nervous systems which have engineered to be similar to asari. it is because of this that they, too, are capable of 'melding' with others however they cannot reproduce this way. Along with their many strengths, the cerberi also have many weaknesses that gene therapy was unable to fix. Because they spent a large portion of their history adapting and engineering themselves on space stations, they have weak immune systems. In spite of the gene therapy that they've implemented to correct this, they are still only able to have limited exposure to certain environments. It is because of this that they implement advanced sealed armor that they are rarely seen out of. Also because of their extensive gene therapy, the cerberi are unable to reproduce sexually as they have all been rendered sterile by their own experiments. To grow their populations, the cerberi combine genes from a male and female donors in artificial development chambers. It is known that the cerberi do not partake in sexual intercourse as they do not physically or mentally react to sexual stimuli and make no differentiation between male and female. This adds to the emotional distance and cold demeanor that they display. ''History'' The cerberi were originally created in the 2180s by Cerberus. After accumulating enough Collector technology, the Illusive man authorized the use of Shepard's DNA in a new classified project that would make Shepard no longer an asset. Samples of Shepard's genome were modified and used to create an army of clone supersoldiers that would be fiercely loyal to the Illusive Man and carry out his will without question. The Illusive Man managed to create these perfect soldiers by implementing all the data that Shepard collected during the mission against the Collectors such as information on clones, technology, and the Collector gene structure. Though these clones were originally intended to help humanity against the Reapers and other alien threats, they would become the latest tool of the Reapers after the Illusive Man had been converted to the Reapers' cause by indoctrination. When the Reapers finally arrived in the galaxy, the troopers were used primarily for two reasons: to support Reapers in capturing organics for conversion into husks, and hunting down Shepard in hopes of stopping the Commander. They fought heavily throughout the short yet brutal war and by the end of it, sustained massive casualties to their ranks. When the Reapers and Cerberus were ultimately defeated, only a few thousand remained scattered across the galaxy. Without the Reapers or the Illusive Man to control them, these remnant groups now led themselves with the last of the commanding leading groups of their remaining allies.They would hole up in outposts across the Milky Way until inevitably passing through the Omega-4 Relay where Cerberus had set up their own stations in the Tartarus Debris Field. There, the cerberi would begin to rebuild their ranks and overtime, they would grow more independant and organized. Implementing the technology left behind by the advanced Reapers, the cerberi managed to multiply from a few thousand to millions within a few years and with the growth of their population came the construction of more stations to support themselves. They used the limitless supply of resources from the Tartarus field to build massive space stations and ships to support themselves. They would soon pass back through the Omega-4 Relay to retrieve slaves to work on these staggering construction projects. In time, the cerberi would populate a large portion of the thin habitable zone around the galactic core and become an incredibly powerful force. During the entirety of their reconstruction period, the cerberi had their sights set on gaining control over the rest of the galaxy. It wasn't until the year 2230 CE that the cerberi launched their attack on the galaxy. It was then that the cerberi had gained control of the , , and many other places. ''Culture'' ''Beliefs'' The cerberi believe that they are destined to be the dominant force in the galaxy as they consider themselves the ultimate lifeforms. Though they know that they originated from humans, they consider themselves to be an evolved form of life and are offended by comparisons between them and humans. Though they are a xenophobic people and consider themselves superior to all species of the galaxy, they are not above working with another group if they consider them useful. Most concepts like love and families are unknown to the cerberi and they have little understanding of relationships. They do understand the concept of religion, however, as witnessed by their worship of the Reapers that they once fought for. ''Resources'' The cerberi possess near inexhaustible sources of valuable assets. In the Tartarus Debris Field, the center of their empire, the cerberi are able to gain vast amounts of metals and other minerals from the billions of asteroids and derelict spaceships scattered throughout their territory. They often use these to create alloys for construction and often times gain element zero from them. For labor, they implement machines of their own creation and slaves that they've easily taken from across the known galaxy. After their conquest of various territories of the galaxy, the cerberi have taken control of trade routes and mines once held by other groups. They have many mines on metal-rich worlds and above gas giants and also have control over trading hubs like the Citadel, Omega, and Illium. ''Government'' Cerberus Imperium The governing body of the cerberi is known as the Cerberus Imperium, named after the very same organization that originally spawned them. Established originally at the galactic center in the Tartarus Debris Field, the Imperium has grown to span a vast number of worlds across the galaxy as of the year 2230. Any world that has the misfortune of being annexed by the Imperium is subject to any form of oppression such as excessive taxation, enslavement, or even genocide. Many worlds under their control were rendered uninhabitable, either by excessive strip mining or genocide, and entire populations were turned into refugees. The Imperium is not ruled by a single figure but by a council of three powerful figures known as the Imperial Triumvirate. ''Galactic Relations'' Because of their hostile nature and their obsessive hatred for every known race of the galaxy, the cerberi have established very poor relationships with other galactic factions. They have a deep hatred for every Citadel race, even humans, and will only interact with them if it is to threaten them, kill them, or enslave them. There are only a handful of exceptions to this, such as the whom the cerberi breed and cybernetically-enhance for use as shock troops in land-based assaults. They have done the same with the but they also use them as laborers deep within their territories as well. In some situations, the cerberi will employ the services of rogue clans or to capture and deliver slaves to them in return for either credits or equipment. ''Military'' ''Notable Cerberi'' ''Cerberi Worlds'' ''Gallery'' ''Trivia'' Category:DeadDATA Category:Races